City of Women (1981)

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Blistering performances.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Continuing my Fellini quest, I found City of Women to be interesting. It is not my favourite Fellini, the pace feels sluggish at times and it is rather shrill and unsubtle in tone. On the other hand, Fellini directs beautifully with his distinctive style most evident. City of Women is visually stunning in scenery, costumes and cinematography. The music is full of cheerful energy and nostalgia, while in terms of writing the autobiographical aspects are interesting, the self-parody and satirical aspects are funny and the dream aspects are appropriately dream-like and in an enchanting way. The story shines with the personal and nostalgic style that is so distinctive of Fellini. The acting is fine, especially from the ever compelling Marcello Mastroianni, though his performances in La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 are even better.All in all, interesting but I personally would have preferred more subtlety. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Kind of shrill and not very subtle, but nonetheless fascinating. Marcello Mastroianni plays "Snaporaz" (Fellini's nickname for the actor), who gets lost in a nightmare world where he is confronted with feminism, absurd satires of machismo and sexual fantasies and confusion. This film doesn't seem to have a very good reputation, even among Fellini fans, but I was mostly enthralled with its strange, unpredictable rhythms, visually astonishing sets, sense of humor and dreamworld logic. The cinematography (by Guiseppe Rotunno, who did a number of other Fellini films, as well as ALL THAT JAZZ, with which this picture shares some similarities) is delightful and the score is a mix of the usual carnivalesque tunes and eerie, more modern sounds... and one hell of a great Italo-disco song. Some parts are annoying or just too long, but overall it's my favorite of Fellini's later career, a surreal amusement about masculine fear and self-loathing.

Such a comedown from the Fellini of the 1960s! At a certain age, some artists have nothing left to offer, like Woody Allen today. They just end up recycling their previous ideas in increasingly crass ways. That's the case with City of Women, which is easily one of Fellini's worst films. It's crass, vulgar, and endlessly offensive and stupid. Whereas the harem of women in 8 1/2 was funny, a whole movie of cartoonish stereotypes of women (slutty, man-hating, and always one with enormous breasts - please!) and the man who's more afraid of them then in love with them. Do yourself a favor and just skip it. Or at least don't see this until you've seen every other Fellini movie first. I hate to think of anyone seeing this as their first Fellini movie because it would definitely turn them off all his other films!

Although there are a couple of scenes that drag on too long and some special effect errors, this film is yet another Fellini classic. I would say that this film is almost as good, but not as good as 8 1/2.You will laugh harder than you ever have before at a Fellini movie. The scene at the doctor's house will have you rolling on the floor.